Considering Jordan J. Jones grew up in the world of theater, his journey to securing the title Best Local Actor has been one in the making.
“My interest in theater came along because of my mom,” said the New York native. “She ran a children's theater as I was growing up. Surprisingly, there wasn't a whole lot of theater in central New York. It's four hours to New York City, and there is theater opportunity, but not a ton, especially for youth,” said Jones.
His mom, Jackie Osteerman, created a youth theater company, Hartford Players Youth Theater, to help fill the void and create opportunities for youth in their area who were interested in theater. It was there he developed a love for performing, especially musicals.
“I just grew up in her company. We would do musicals every summer, cabarets in the spring and winter. That's how I developed a lot of my friends. Because she (his mom) was an actress and still is, and my stepfather was a musician, I just grew up in the art,” said Jones.
Though Jones enjoyed music and theater, it was not something he took very seriously at first.
“I wasn't taking it very seriously. There was a turning point around high school, where I feel I had a period of time where I felt a little aimless. I feel like I wasn't making the best decisions or hanging out with the best influences,” said Jones.
It was during this time he decided to do summer shows with his mom and his take on the craft started to transform.
“I felt the sense of community again. I finally felt this very communal feeling with theater. I felt invested in it and involved in it and not just floating on the outside of it. I felt like I was in it for deeper reasons,” said Jones.
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Jones is now making impactful bonds with like-minded people, some of whom became meaningful friends.
He earned his BFA in Acting from the University of Connecticut. In college he did mostly plays, and prioritized learning how to "act" over song and dance.
“When it came time to study it in school, I didn't really have that classic parental block. They just assumed I was going to go for the arts. I just never considered doing anything else,” said Jones.
Post graduating he trained in Shakespeare at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. Jones moved to Savannah in 2014 and later found himself overseas in Beijing, China where he ultimately taught drama for several years.
After time spent traveling, he landed back on a stage in 2018.
“I saw an audition for a show at Savannah Repertory Theater, and it was a new theater. I thought it was interesting because they were associated with Actors' Equity. One of my biggest gripes post-college was that I didn't have my equity card. But to get an equity show, you need to be an equity actor,” said Jones.
Founded in 2016, Savannah Repertory Theatre has become part of the cultural fabric of Savannah as the city’s flagship regional theater.
Savannah Rep is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization operating under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
“It's local theater, and this is the one I can get involved with–at least spurred me on to want to get involved with it. I didn't get in that show, but I did get in a show not long after the musical “Little Women,” which was in 2018, and that started my relationship with that theater,” said Jones.
Jones played Richard Hannay in “The 39 Steps” at Savannah Rep and he played Fred Graham/ Petruchio in “Kiss Me Kate” at North Street Playhouse. Jordan has a deep love for classic rock, coffee, reading, travel, and his three dogs: Ellie, Summer, and Alfred. He hopes to continue traveling and move to Japan one day.
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